Device for preventing and curing stammering and stuttering.



DEVICE FOR PREV T. BEATTIE & G. A. PEATE.

ENTING AND CURING STAMMERING AND STUTTBRING.

APPLIOATION TILED APR. lll 1911.

Patented July 2, 1912.

ammo GGO 79a 1% aie 1 7.2 0.772 62.3 Beaiiz'c GEORGE PEATE AND THOMAS BEATTIE, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

1 DEVICE FOR PREVENTING AND CURING STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1912.

Application filed April 11, 1911. Serial No. 620,270.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that; we, GEORGE A. Pna'rn and THOMAS BEATTIE, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Montreal,

; Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented:

certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Preventing and Curing Stammering and Stuttering, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehenils certain new and useful improvements in surgical appliancesand relates particularly to anapparatus'designed for'use on a patient in the treatnient by experts for the prevention and cure of-stammering and stuttering.

The in'vention'has for its primary object a novel and useful device designed particularly for use as a supplementary device in the treatment which includes, in its initial steps, an apparatus disclosed in our cornpanionapplication for LettersPatont of the United States, tiled of-cven date herewith, Serial N0..-620,271, such last named device being designed to hold thcarticulating organs at a widely separated position I and so that they cannot act at' all even to a slight degree, as a reference to such application will more fully appear, while the present device is so arrange-d that the jaws,

tongue, andv lips may move, the device relieving the mind of all responsibility of controlling these organs.

- Witlr this and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that we shall hereinafter fully. describe and claim.

'Fora full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved device; Fig. 2 is a transvcrsesectional-view thereof; Fig. 3 isa longitudinal detail view ofthe tongue depressing device;

and. Fig. 4 is'a detail sectional view of the' a ppliance.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following dcscriptionand indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Our improved appliance comprises a curved base plate 1 which is shaped to fit the lower jaw around the gums and inside of the lower lip, [said base plate being formed at correspondingly opposite points with inwardly turned extensions 2 that are substantially horizontally disposed in the operative position of the device. One or more coil springs 3 are secured at their lower ends to those lateral extensions 2, and the upper ends of said springs are attached to plates 4. that in the present instance form outwardly extending integralportions of an arched cross bar 5 shaped to approximately fit the cross contour of the roof of the patients mouth.

6 designates cup-like holders that are socured to the upper sides of the lateral exteusions 4- and to the lower sides of the lateral extensions 2, said holders being formed of silver or any other desired metal and having their flanged edges clenched in preferably rubhcr pads 7, said pairs of pads being designed to be inserted between the upper and lower sets of teeth so as to have a tendency to open the jaws, while at the same time permitting the jaws to be\ closed in articulating, but under some degrcc' of restraint or tension.

Secured to the middle of the crossbar 5 is a slightly curved longitudinal bar'S" which will exert. a yielding pressure downwardly upon the tongue so as to be a check against a too high or, strong movement toward the roof of the mouth. rangcment of the parts there are two of those tongue depressing springs, as shown, as two independent springs are advisable, owing to the fact that one portion of the tongue is used in sounding some of the con= sonants, while another part of the tongue is used in sounding other consonants.

Secured to the curved base plate 1 preferably somewhat near the front thereofare two pairs of spring rods, each pair embodying an upper spring member 12 and a lower spring member 1%. These are securedat' their lower ends to the base plate 1 and extend upwardly and forwardly one above the other, being designed to project in between held in the mouth, so as to exert an opening pressure upon the lips.

In the preferred arthe lips of the patient when the device is 13110 1 From the foregoing description lll t'UllllQC- ionwith theacmmpanying drawing, we be lieve that the operation of our improved applianee will be apparentf In the preferable "useof the device. after the patient has progressed suttioiently to warrant its use, the" apparatus is titted within the lower jaw arofli'idthe gum and between the same and the loweflipsithe pads T fitting in between the-teeth ot' the upper ai t l'lower set, and

exerting an opening pressur'e upon the jaws.

' \Vhat we claim is: V 1

'llte'crogs l iir 5 tits snugly within the roof of the. month and the tongue depressing de- Xj-Qes-tl and exert a yielding pressure in a d'ttwnwardrdircction upon the tongue, while the'springs '12 and 1:2, titted between the lips, will exert a. suttlcient cheek' upon the lips to relieve the-,will froln'attending to their action during the treatment.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a very simple and etiieicnt device, by the use of which the patients speech-energy is controlled as it divides itself and is distributed to the'various organs. The exact distribulatter part of the tion necessary to a coordinate action of the organs is maintained first mechanically and the-parts so thoroughly improved by'specific and prescribed work that such perfect distribution continues thereafter on the principle of habit. i l

1'. A device of the character arched cross bar above said plate and formed at opposite points with outwardly turned extensions, springs interposed, between corrcs ondlngupper and lower extensions and pa 8 secured to said extensions and adapted to fit between the upper and lower sets .of a persons teeth. a

2. In a device of the, character described, an arched supporting jbar adapted to fit within the root of a persons mouth, means for supporting the bar within the mouth, a

longitudinally extending bar connected to,

said archcd'bar, and a spring carried by said longitudinal bar.

3. In a device of the character described, an arched supporting bar adapted to fit within the roof of a persons mouth, means for supporting said bar withinthe' mouth, a longitudinallyextending bar connected to said arched bar, and'springs carried by said longitudinal bar, said spgipgs being ardescribed comprising a base-plate formed at opposite 7 points with inwardlyturned extensions, an

ranged in longitudinal alineluent with eachother. I

4. In a device of the character described,

an arched supporting bar adapted to it within the roof of a persons mouth, means for supporting the bar within the mouth,- a-

longitudinal bar connected to said support- T ing bar and extending forwardly and rearwardly therefrom, and springs adjustably connected to said longitudinal bar.

5; In a device of the character described,

an arched supporting bar arranged to extend transversely in the roof bf a'persons montlp, means for. supporting the bar-Within the mouth, a longitudinal bar extending forwar lly and rearwardly from said supporting bar, a spring onnected to the forwardly extending end ot the longitudinal bar, and another springconnected to the rearwardly extending end of the;longitudinal bar.

In a device of the character described, a base plate adapted to fit within and behind a lower lip, lower pads supported by said base plate, a cross barfandpads connected to the cross bar and disposed above the lower pads, the upper and lower pads being yield- 7 ably connected togther.

7. In a device of the character described, a base plate adaptedto fit: within and behind a lower lip, upper ahd'lowerpads adapted to wedge between the upper andlower sets of a persons teeth, the pads being yieldably "connected' together, a crossbar to-which the upper pads are operatively connected,- and lip opening -members connected to said base plate and extending forwardly therefrom. I

8. In a device of'the character described, a

curved base plate adapted tp fit around a persons lower jaw back of the lower lip, and two pairs of lip-opening yieldable members, each paircomp'rising an upper and a lower member thatare sect red at their rear lowerends to the base plat wardly and forwardly therefrom.

F; C. WALLACE.

e and that extend up 

